2025–26 International League T20
| Dates | 2 December 2025 – 4 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Emirates Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 |
| Tournament format(s) | Double round-robin and Playoffs |
| Champions | Desert Vipers (1st title) |
| Runners-up | MI Emirates |
| Participants | 6 |
| Matches | 34 |
| Player of the series | Sam Curran (Desert Vipers) |
| Most runs | Sam Curran (397) (Desert Vipers) |
| Most wickets | Waqar Salamkheil (18) (Dubai Capitals) Ajay Kumar (18) (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) |
| Official website | www |
The 2025–26 International League T20, also known as DP World ILT20 2025–26 for sponsorship reasons, was the fourth season of the International League T20, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, organised by the Emirates Cricket Board. This edition of the tournament started on 2 December 2025 and the final was played on 4 January 2026.[1][2][3] Dubai Capitals were the defending champions.[4]
In the final, Desert Vipers defeated MI Emirates by 46 runs to win their maiden title.[5]
Background
The fourth season of the International League T20 (ILT20) began on 2 December 2025, UAE National Day – which was one of the most important days on the UAE calendar, earlier than usual to avoid clash with the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup in February. The tournament was concluded on 4 January 2026.[6][7] The revised schedule also helped to reduce overlap with other T20 leagues like SA20, Big Bash League, and BPL.
Player auction
The teams had a purse of USD 2 million, out of which USD 1.2 million could be used for retention and direct signings. USD 800,000 and any leftover amount from retention and direct signings can be used in auction, with a minimum of USD 1.5 million needed to be spend.
Each franchise is allowed to build a squad of 19 to 21 players, excluding wildcard picks. Squad composition rules require a minimum of 11 players from ICC Full Member nations, four from the UAE, one each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and two from other Associate Member countries. Teams are also permitted to sign up to two wildcard players after the auction, with a separate budget of USD 250,000 for such additions.
The player auction was held in Jumeirah, Dubai on 1 October 2025.[8] Zee Entertainment (Zee5) has been awarded as the Global Broadcast Partner for the 2025-26 ILT20 - International League T20.[9]
Squads
Retained players were announced on 7 July 2025.[10][11]
The squads of all teams are as below:[12]
Venues
| United Arab Emirates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Sharjah | Abu Dhabi |
| Dubai International Cricket Stadium | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 16,000 | Capacity: 20,000 |
Teams and standings
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert Vipers (C) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0.438 | Advance to Qualifier 1 |
| 2 | MI Emirates (R) | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0.676 | |
| 3 | Dubai Capitals (4th) | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0.578 | Advance to Eliminator |
| 4 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (3rd) | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 8 | −0.559 | |
| 5 | Gulf Giants | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | −0.310 | Eliminated |
| 6 | Sharjah Warriorz | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | −0.815 |
Match summary
| Team | Group matches | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Q1/E | Q2 | F | |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | W | L | |
| Desert Vipers | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | W | W | |
| Dubai Capitals | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | L | ||
| Gulf Giants | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| MI Emirates | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | L | W | L |
| Sharjah Warriorz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Win | Loss | No result |
- Note: The total points at the end of each group match are listed.
- Note: Click on the points (group matches) or W/L (playoffs) to see the match summary.
| Visitor team → | ADKR | DV | DC | GG | MIE | SW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home team ↓ | ||||||
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | Abu Dhabi 1 run | Dubai 9 runs | Abu Dhabi 4 wickets | Emirates 7 wickets | Sharjah 4 wickets | |
| Desert Vipers | Vipers 2 wickets | Vipers 5 wickets | Vipers Super Over | Emirates 4 wickets | Vipers 4 wickets | |
| Dubai Capitals | Dubai 83 runs | Vipers 4 wickets | Giants 4 wickets | Emirates 7 runs | Dubai 6 wickets | |
| Gulf Giants | Abu Dhabi 32 runs | Vipers 8 wickets | Dubai 6 wickets | Giants 6 wickets | Giants 6 wickets | |
| MI Emirates | Emirates 35 runs | Vipers 1 run | Emirates 8 wickets | Emirates 8 wickets | Sharjah 6 runs | |
| Sharjah Warriorz | Abu Dhabi 39 runs | Vipers 5 wickets | Dubai 63 runs | Sharjah 11 runs | Emirates 4 runs |
| Home team won | Visitor team won |
- Note: Results listed are according to the home (horizontal) and visitor (vertical) teams.
- Note: Click on a result to see a summary of the match.
League stage
Dubai Capitals
150/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
151/6 (19 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
233/4 (20 overs) |
v
|
Sharjah Warriorz
194/9 (20 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to field.
- Raees Ahmed (Sharjah Warriorz) and Ajay Kumar (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) both made their T20 debuts.
MI Emirates
163/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
Gulf Giants
164/4 (14.4 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
- Haider Razzaq (Gulf Giants) made his T20 debut.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
171/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
175/8 (19.3 overs) |
Shimron Hetmyer 48 (25)
Ajay Kumar 3/21 (4 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals
160/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
Gulf Giants
161/6 (18.5 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
MI Emirates
185/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
Sharjah Warriorz
181/7 (20 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to field.
- Wasim Akram (Sharjah Warriorz) made his T20 debut.
- Sikandar Raza (Sharjah Warriorz) hit his 300th six in T20s.
Dubai Capitals
186/4 (20 overs) |
v
|
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
103 (15.3 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Gulf Giants
179/5 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
179/9 (20 overs) |
Pathum Nissanka 56 (29)
Khuzaima Tanveer 2/23 (4 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Super Over: Desert Vipers 13/1, Gulf Giants 9/0.
Desert Vipers
159/4 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
158/9 (20 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Sharjah Warriorz
157/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
Gulf Giants
158/4 (19.4 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
122 (19.3 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
123/3 (13.5 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Gulf Giants
157/7 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
158/2 (16.5 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals
196/5 (20 overs) |
v
|
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
187/8 (20 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Sharjah Warriorz
174/3 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
168/5 (20 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
- Matheesha Pathirana (Sharjah Warriorz) played his 100th T20 match.
Dubai Capitals
166/4 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
171/5 (19.4 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Desert Vipers qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Sharjah Warriorz
174/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
Gulf Giants
163/9 (20 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
181/5 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
180/6 (20 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
MI Emirates
137/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
Dubai Capitals
130 (20 overs) |
- Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to field.
Gulf Giants
165/7 (20 overs) |
v
|
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
167/6 (19.2 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals
180/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
Sharjah Warriorz
117 (17 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
187/4 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
152 (20 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.
Sharjah Warriorz
90 (17.5 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
91/6 (13.5 overs) |
- Sharjah Warriorz won the toss and elected to bat.
Gulf Giants
156 (19.5 overs) |
v
|
Dubai Capitals
162/4 (19.2 overs) |
- Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to field.
Desert Vipers
124/7 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
128/6 (17.3 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
134/9 (20 overs) |
v
|
Sharjah Warriorz
135/6 (20 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat.
Gulf Giants
141/6 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
142/2 (16.3 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
- MI Emirates qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Sharjah Warriorz
134/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
Dubai Capitals
138/4 (19.1 overs) |
- Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to field.
- Dubai Capitals qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Sharjah Warriorz
140/7 (20 overs) |
v
|
Desert Vipers
144/5 (19.3 overs) |
- Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
Dubai Capitals
122/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
126/2 (16.4 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
179/1 (20 overs) |
v
|
Gulf Giants
147/9 (20 overs) |
- Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field.
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders qualified for the playoffs as a result of this match.
Play-offs
Bracket
| Qualifier 1 | Qualifier 2 | Final | |||||||||||
| 30 December 2025 — Abu Dhabi | 4 January 2026 — Dubai | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Desert Vipers | 233/1 (20 overs) | Q1W | Desert Vipers | 182/4 (20 overs) | ||||||||
| 2 | MI Emirates | 188/7 (20 overs) | 2 January 2026 — Sharjah | Q2W | MI Emirates | 136 (18.3 overs) | |||||||
| Q1L | MI Emirates | 122/3 (16.1 overs) | |||||||||||
| Eliminator | EW | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 120/8 (20 overs) | ||||||||||
| 1 January 2026 — Dubai | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Dubai Capitals | 108 (16.2 overs) | |||||||||||
| 4 | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 158/7 (20 overs) | |||||||||||
Qualifier 1
Desert Vipers
233/1 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
188/7 (20 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Eliminator
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
158/7 (20 overs) |
v
|
Dubai Capitals
108 (16.2 overs) |
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat.
Qualifier 2
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
120/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
122/3 (16.1 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Final
Desert Vipers
182/4 (20 overs) |
v
|
MI Emirates
136 (18.3 overs) |
- MI Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
Statistics
| Runs | Player | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 397 | Sam Curran | Desert Vipers | |||||||
| 370 | Muhammad Waseem | MI Emirates | |||||||
| 359 | Max Holden | Desert Vipers | |||||||
| 327 | Tom Banton | MI Emirates | |||||||
| 321 | Jordan Cox | Dubai Capitals | |||||||
| Source: ESPNcricinfo | |||||||||
| Wickets | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Waqar Salamkheil | Dubai Capitals |
| Ajay Kumar | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | |
| 17 | Khuzaima Tanveer | Desert Vipers |
| David Payne | Desert Vipers | |
| 15 | Jason Holder | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders |
| Source: ESPNcricinfo | ||
| Award | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Sam Curran | Desert Vipers |
| Best UAE player | Muhammad Waseem | MI Emirates |
Notes
- ^ a b Ferguson was ruled out of the season due to injury; Sam Curran took over as captain of the Desert Vipers.
- ^ a b Shimron Hetmyer got ruled out of a part of the season due to hamstring injury, and he was replaced by Jason Roy.[13]
- ^ a b Ritesh Grandhi got ruled out of the season, and he was replaced by Mustafizur Rahman.
- ^ a b Tymal Mills got ruled out and he was replaced by Dushmantha Chameera.
- ^ a b Blessing Muzarabani got ruled out of the season due to injury, and he was replaced by Nuwan Thushara.
- ^ a b Ramon Simmonds got ruled out of the season due to injury, and he was replaced by Pathum Nissanka.
- ^ a b Jordan Thompson got ruled out of the season due to injury, and he was replaced by Rashid Khan.[14]
- ^ a b Mustafizur Rahman got ruled out of a part of the season, and he was replaced by Kaleem Sana.
- ^ a b Nuwan Thushara got ruled out of a part of the season due to national duty, and he was replaced by Ali Khan.
- ^ a b Pathum Nissanka got ruled out of a part of the season due to national duty, and he was replaced by Jordan Clark.
References
- ^ "ILT20 moves its schedule for T20 World Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "ILT20 organizers advance 2026 season to avoid T20 World Cup clash". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ "ILT20 to move to December-January window for 2025-26 season". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- ^ "Powell, Raza fire Dubai Capitals to maiden ILT20 title". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "Curran, bowlers lead Desert Vipers to maiden ILT20 title". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "DP World International League T20 Season 4 to begin with blockbuster clash between defending champions Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers". ilt20.ae. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "DP World International League T20 Season 4 to commence on UAE National Day, 2 December 2025". www.ilt20.ae. 2025-05-14. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ "ILT20 auction details". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "ILT20 Broadcast Partners & Streaming Detail". 23 September 2025.
- ^ "ILT20: Powell, Ghazanfar retained; Hales, Livingstone among new signings". ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ "Phil Salt and Andre Russell among star-studded line-up for DP World ILT20 Season 4". MSN.
- ^ "International League T20 2025-26 all teams' squads". Cricbuzz.
- ^ "Shimron Hetmyer ruled out of ILT20 due to hamstring injury". ESPNcricinfo. 20 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
- ^ "Rashid Khan replaces Jordan Thompson in MI Emirates squad". ESPN Cricinfo. 4 December 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.